Visiting Teaching handout for September

Here is the Visiting Teaching message for this month. This message can be tricky if you have sisters that are divorced or widowed or single, etc. But it is an important message. It is definitely one to be prayerful about what to share with your sisters!
VISITING TEACHING MESSAGE

Parenthood Is a Sacred Duty

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Prayerfully study this material and seek for inspiration to know what to share. How will understanding “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” increase your faith in God and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.

Faith, Family, Relief

Our Heavenly Father established families to help us teach correct principles in a loving atmosphere. President Thomas S. Monson said: “Give your child a compliment and a hug; say, ‘I love you’ more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.”1

Susan W. Tanner, former Young Women general president, taught: “Our Father in Heaven exemplifies the pattern we should follow. He loves us, teaches us, is patient with us, and entrusts us with our agency. … Sometimes discipline, which means ‘to teach,’ is confused with criticism. Children—as well as people of all ages—improve behavior from love and encouragement more than from fault-finding.”2

“If we faithfully have family prayer, scripture study, family home evening, priesthood blessings, and Sabbath day observance,” said Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “our children will … be prepared for an eternal home in heaven, regardless of what befalls them in a difficult world.”3

Additional Scriptures

1 Nephi 8:37; 3 Nephi 22:13; Doctrine and Covenants 93:40; 121:41

Living Stories

“I was reading the newspaper when one of my young grandsons snuggled up to me,” said Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “As I read, I was delighted to hear his sweet voice chattering on in the background. Imagine my surprise when, a few moments later, he pushed himself between me and the paper. Taking my face in his hands and pressing his nose up to mine, he asked, ‘Grandpa! Are you in there?’

“… Being there means understanding the hearts of our youth and connecting with them. And connecting with them means not just conversing with them but doing things with them too. …

“We must plan and take advantage of teaching moments. …

“… The more I live, the more I recognize that the teaching moments in my youth, especially those provided by my parents, have shaped my life and made me who I am.”4

Consider This

Why is the gospel best taught by the language and example of love?

Show References

Here is the handout we used with our sisters:

Email me and I will send you the pdf of 4 to a page and my Visiting Teaching lesson handout as well. :) Enjoy!

Make it a great one!

 Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B6, G4, & B2), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

See Yourself in the Temple

See yourself in the Temple is the topic of Quentin L. Cook's 2016 April Conference talk. This talk is the subject of my 4th Sunday Relief Society Lesson this month. This is a long talk - I will more than likely have to pick and choose the best parts of this talk because it is about 5 pages long in a normal 14 pt font.

This talk isn't just for people that haven't gone to the Temple yet. This talk is for EVERYONE! If you have a recommend - this talk is for you! If you have a recommend but you have and/or haven't gone in a while, this talk is for you. If you are less active and need to renew your recommend and return to Church this talk is for you. If you have recently joined the Church, this talk is for you. If you are investigating the Church, this talk is for you!! Seriously!!

This talk is for each of us to See Ourselves in the Temple, A little history of the Temple and then a Challenge to See Myself in the Temple. He talks about promises and blessings given to the Saints and discusses how blessed we are to live at this time. He also discusses How Do We Prepare for the Temple and how the Atonement of Christ makes it possible for us to be forgiven of the sins that might keep us from thinking we are worthy to attend the Temple. He reminds us that our ability to go in the Temple is based on our Self Certification when answering the Temple Recommend Questions with our Bishopric and Stake Presidency Member. We have to fully forgive ourselves. This is key. One of my favorite quotes is "The Lord Organizes Eternal Families in the Temple" - What a great reminder. No where else is this remotely possible!!

I add my testimony of Temple work to his and again use his Challenge of See Yourself in the Temple for all of us to grow closer to Heavenly Father.

This is the handout that I am going to use for my lesson. I will print it in color in a 4x6 size for each member of our Relief Society. I am going to use Sams Club :) They are pretty economical!

    

Email me and I will send you the pdf of this handout. Usually I do it in a full size and a 4x6 or 3x5 size that is 4 to a page.  I am going to print out one in a poster size for our loft area. This is a great visual for my children to see everyday!


Make it a great one!

 Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B6, G4, & B2), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

General Conference Talk of the week

General Conference Talk  of the week

Always Retain a Remission of Your Sins

By Elder David A. Bednar

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Audio

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By the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins.

A profound phrase used by King Benjamin in his teachings about the Savior and His Atonement has been a recurring topic of my study and pondering for many years.

In his spiritually stirring farewell sermon to the people he had served and loved, King Benjamin described the importance of knowing the glory of God and tasting of His love, of receiving a remission of sins, of always remembering the greatness of God, and of praying daily and standing steadfastly in the faith.1 He also promised that by doing these things, “ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins.”2

My message focuses upon the principle of always retaining a remission of our sins. The truth expressed in this phrase can strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and deepen our discipleship. I pray the Holy Ghost will inspire and edify us as we consider together essential spiritual truths.

Spiritual Rebirth

In mortality we experience physical birth and the opportunity for spiritual rebirth.3 We are admonished by prophets and apostles to awake unto God,4 be “born again,”5 and become new creatures in Christ6 by receiving in our lives the blessings made possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The “merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah”7 can help us triumph over the self-centered and selfish tendencies of the natural man and become more selfless, benevolent, and saintly. We are exhorted to so live that we can “stand spotless before [the Lord] at the last day.”8

The Holy Ghost and Priesthood Ordinances

The Prophet Joseph Smith summarized succinctly the essential role of priesthood ordinances in the gospel of Jesus Christ: “Being born again, comes by the Spirit of God through ordinances.”9 This penetrating statement emphasizes the roles of both the Holy Ghost and sacred ordinances in the process of spiritual rebirth.

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the Godhead. He is a personage of spirit and bears witness of all truth. In the scriptures, the Holy Ghost is referred to as the Comforter,10 a teacher,11 and a revelator.12 Additionally, the Holy Ghost is a sanctifier13 who cleanses and burns dross and evil out of human souls as though by fire.

Holy ordinances are central in the Savior’s gospel and in the process of coming unto Him and seeking spiritual rebirth. Ordinances are sacred acts that have spiritual purpose, eternal significance, and are related to God’s laws and statutes.14 All saving ordinances and the ordinance of the sacrament must be authorized by one who holds the requisite priesthood keys.

The ordinances of salvation and exaltation administered in the Lord’s restored Church are far more than rituals or symbolic performances. Rather, they constitute authorized channels through which the blessings and powers of heaven can flow into our individual lives.

“And this greater priesthood administereth the gospel and holdeth the key of the mysteries of the kingdom, even the key of the knowledge of God.

“Therefore, in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest.

“And without the ordinances thereof, and the authority of the priesthood, the power of godliness is not manifest unto men in the flesh.”15

Ordinances received and honored with integrity are essential to obtaining the power of godliness and all of the blessings made available through the Savior’s Atonement.

Obtaining and Retaining a Remission of Sins through Ordinances

To comprehend more fully the process whereby we may obtain and always retain a remission of our sins, we need first to understand the inseparable relationship among three sacred ordinances that provide access to the powers of heaven: baptism by immersion, laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament.

Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins “is the introductory ordinance of the gospel”16 of Jesus Christ and must be preceded by faith in the Savior and by sincere repentance. This ordinance “is a sign and a commandment which God has set for [His children] to enter into His kingdom.”17 Baptism is administered in the authority of the Aaronic Priesthood. In the process of coming unto the Savior and spiritual rebirth, baptism provides a necessary initial cleansing of our soul from sin.

The baptismal covenant includes three fundamental commitments: (1) to be willing to take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ, (2) to always remember Him, and (3) to keep His commandments. The promised blessing for honoring this covenant is “that [we] may always have his Spirit to be with [us].”18 Thus, baptism is the essential preparation to receive the authorized opportunity for the constant companionship of the third member of the Godhead.

“Baptism [by] water … must be followed by baptism of the Spirit in order to be complete.”19 As the Savior taught Nicodemus, “Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”20

Three statements by the Prophet Joseph Smith emphasize the vital linkage between the ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Statement 1: “Baptism is a holy ordinance preparatory to the reception of the Holy Ghost; it is the channel and key by which the Holy Ghost will be administered.”21

Statement 2: “You might as well baptize a bag of sand as a man, if not done in view of the remission of sins and getting of the Holy Ghost. Baptism by water is but half a baptism, and is good for nothing without the other half—that is, the baptism of the Holy Ghost.”22

Statement 3: “The baptism of water, without the baptism of fire and the Holy Ghost attending it, is of no use. They are necessarily and inseparably connected.”23

The consistent connectedness among the principle of repentance, the ordinances of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the glorious blessing of the remission of sins is emphasized repeatedly in the scriptures.

Nephi declared, “For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and baptism by water; and then cometh a remission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost.”24

The Savior Himself proclaimed, “Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”25

Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost is an ordinance administered in the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. In the process of coming unto the Savior and spiritual rebirth, receiving the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost in our lives creates the possibility of an ongoing cleansing of our soul from sin. This joyous blessing is vital because “no unclean thing can dwell with God.”26

As members of the Lord’s restored Church, we are blessed both by our initial cleansing from sin associated with baptism and by the potential for an ongoing cleansing from sin made possible through the companionship and power of the Holy Ghost—even the third member of the Godhead.

Consider how a farmer depends upon the unchanging pattern of planting and harvesting. Understanding the connection between sowing and reaping is a constant source of purpose and influences all of the decisions and actions a farmer undertakes in all seasons of the year. In like manner, the inseparable connection between the ordinances of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost should impact every aspect of our discipleship in all seasons of our lives.

The sacrament is the third ordinance necessary to obtain access to the power of godliness. That we might more fully keep ourselves unspotted from the world, we are commanded to go to the house of prayer and offer up our sacraments upon the Lord’s holy day.27 Please consider that the emblems of the Lord’s body and blood, the bread and the water, are both blessed and sanctified. “O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread [or this water] to the souls of all those who partake [or drink] of it.”28 To sanctify is to make pure and holy. The sacramental emblems are sanctified in remembrance of Christ’s purity, of our total dependence upon His Atonement, and of our responsibility to so honor our ordinances and covenants that we can “stand spotless before [Him] at the last day.”29

The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually. The act of partaking of the sacrament, in and of itself, does not remit sins. But as we prepare conscientiously and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins.

We truly are blessed each week by the opportunity to evaluate our lives through the ordinance of the sacrament, to renew our covenants, and to receive this covenant promise.30

Baptized Again

Sometimes Latter-day Saints express the wish that they could be baptized again—and thereby become as clean and worthy as the day on which they received their first saving gospel ordinance. May I respectfully suggest that our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son do not intend for us to experience such a feeling of spiritual renewal, refreshment, and restoration just once in our lives. The blessings of obtaining and always retaining a remission of our sins through gospel ordinances help us understand that baptism is a point of departure in our mortal spiritual journey; it is not a destination we should yearn to revisit over and over again.

The ordinances of baptism by immersion, the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and the sacrament are not isolated and discrete events; rather, they are elements in an interrelated and additive pattern of redemptive progress. Each successive ordinance elevates and enlarges our spiritual purpose, desire, and performance. The Father’s plan, the Savior’s Atonement, and the ordinances of the gospel provide the grace we need to press forward and progress line upon line and precept upon precept toward our eternal destiny.

Promise and Testimony

We are imperfect human beings striving to live in mortality according to Heavenly Father’s perfect plan of eternal progression. The requirements of His plan are glorious, merciful, and rigorous. We may at times be filled with determination and at other times feel totally inadequate. We may wonder if we spiritually can ever fulfill the commandment to stand spotless before Him at the last day.

With the help of the Lord and through the power of His Spirit to “teach [us] all things,”31 indeed we can be blessed to realize our spiritual possibilities. Ordinances invite spiritual purpose and power into our lives as we strive to be born again and become men and women of Christ.32 Our weaknesses can be strengthened, and our limitations can be overcome.

Although none of us can achieve perfection in this life, we can become increasingly worthy and spotless as we are “cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.”33 I promise and testify we will be blessed with increased faith in the Savior and greater spiritual assurance as we seek to always retain a remission of our sins and, ultimately, to stand spotless before the Lord at the last day. I so witness in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Make it a great one!

 Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 18th year of wedded bliss, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B12, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 precociously precious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

FHE: Importance of the Sacrament

This Family Home Evening Lesson comes from an excerpt from the General Conference Address given by Elder Gerrit W. Gong in April 2016.

Always Remember Him

Each week, in partaking of the sacrament, we covenant to always remember Him. Drawing on the nearly 400 scripture references to the word remember, here are six ways we can always remember Him.

First, we can always remember Him by having confidence in His covenants, promises, and assurances.

The Lord remembers His everlasting covenants—from Adam’s time to the day Adam’s posterity “shall embrace the truth, and look upward, then shall Zion look downward, and all the heavens shall shake with gladness, and the earth shall tremble with joy.”2The Lord remembers His promises, including promises to gather scattered Israel through the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and promises given to every member and missionary who remembers the worth of souls.3The Lord remembers and assures nations and peoples. In these days of motion and commotion,4 “some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God,”5 who guides “the future as he has the past.”6 In “perilous times,”7 we “remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.”8

Second, we can always remember Him by gratefully acknowledging His hand throughout our lives.

The Lord’s hand in our lives is often clearest in hindsight. As Christian philosopher Søren Kierkegaard put it: “Life must be understood backward. But … it must be lived forward.”9My dear mother recently celebrated her 90th birthday. She gratefully testified of God’s blessing at each major juncture in her life. Family histories, family traditions, and family ties help us savor remembrance of things past while providing future patterns and hope. Priesthood lines of authority and patriarchal blessings witness of God’s hand across generations.
Have you ever thought of yourself as your own living book of remembrance—reflecting what and how you choose to remember?
For example, when I was younger, I really wanted to play school basketball. I practiced and practiced. One day the coach pointed to our 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) all-state center and our 6-foot-2-inch (1.88 m) all-star forward and said to me, “I can put you on the team, but you’ll likely never play.” I remember how kindly he then encouraged, “Why not try out for soccer? You’d be good.” My family cheered when I scored my first goal.
We can remember those who give us a chance, and a second chance, with honesty, kindness, patience, and encouragement. And we can become someone others remember when they most needed help. Gratefully remembering the assistance of others and the Spirit’s guiding influence is a way we remember Him. It is a way we count our many blessings and see what God hath done.10

Third, we can always remember Him by trusting when the Lord assures us, “He who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.”11

When we fully repent, including by confessing and forsaking our sins, we ask with Enos, as our guilt is swept away, “Lord, how is it done?” and hear the answer “Because of thy faith in Christ”12 and His invitation to “put me in remembrance.”13Once we repent and priesthood leaders declare us worthy, we need not continue to confess and confess these past sins. To be worthy does not mean to be perfect. Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness invites us to be humbly at peace on our life’s journey to someday become perfected in Christ,14 not constantly worried, frustrated, or unhappy in our imperfections today. Remember, He knows all the things we don’t want anyone else to know about us—and loves us still.
Sometimes life tests our trust in Christ’s mercy, justice, and judgment and in His liberating invitation to allow His Atonement to heal us as we forgive others and ourselves.

A young woman in another country applied to work as a journalist, but the official who assigned jobs was merciless. He said to her, “With my signature, I guarantee you will not become a journalist but will dig sewers.” She was the only woman digging sewers in a gang of men.
Years later this woman became an official. One day a man came in needing her signature for a job.
She asked, “Do you remember me?” He did not.
She said, “You do not remember me, but I remember you. With your signature, you guaranteed I never became a journalist. With your signature, you sent me to dig sewers, the only woman in a gang of men.”

She told me, “I feel I should treat that man better than he treated me—but I do not have that strength.” Sometimes that strength is not within us, but it can be found in remembering the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

When trust is betrayed, dreams shattered, hearts broken and broken again, when we want justice and need mercy, when our fists clench and our tears flow, when we need to know what to hold onto and what to let go of, we can always remember Him. Life is not as cruel as it can sometimes seem. His infinite compassion can help us find our way, truth, and life.15When we remember His words and example, we will not give or take offense.

My friend’s father worked as a mechanic. His honest labor showed even in his carefully washed hands. One day someone at a temple told my friend’s father he should clean his hands before serving there. Instead of being offended, this good man began to scrub the family dishes by hand with extra soapy water before attending the temple. He exemplifies those who “ascend into the hill of the Lord” and “stand in his holy place” with the cleanest of hands and the purest of hearts.16

If we have unkind feelings, grudges, or resentments or if we have cause to ask forgiveness of others, now is the time to do so.

Fourth, He invites us to remember that He is always welcoming us home.

We learn by asking and searching. But please do not cease exploration until you arrive—in the words of T. S. Eliot—“where [you] started and know the place for the first time.”17 When you are ready, please open your heart to the Book of Mormon, again, for the first time. Please pray with real intent, again, for the first time.
Trust that early or faint memory. Let it enlarge your faith. With God, there is no point of no return.
Prophets ancient and modern implore us not to let human foibles, faults, or weaknesses—others’ or our own—cause us to miss the truths, covenants, and redeeming power in His restored gospel.18 This is especially important in a church where we each grow through our imperfect participation.

The Prophet Joseph said, “I never told you I was perfect; but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught.”19

Fifth, we can always remember Him on the Sabbath through the sacrament. 

At the end of His mortal ministry and the beginning of His resurrected ministry—both times—our Savior took bread and wine and asked that we remember His body and blood,20 “for as oft as ye do this ye will remember this hour that I was with you.”21

In the ordinance of the sacrament, we witness unto God the Father that we are willing to take upon us the name of His Son and always remember Him and keep His commandments, which He has given us, that we may always have His Spirit to be with us.22As Amulek teaches, we remember Him when we pray over our fields, our flocks, and our households and when we remember the needy, the naked, the sick and afflicted.23

Finally, sixth, our Savior invites us to always remember Him as He always remembers us.

In the New World, our resurrected Savior invited those present to come, one by one, to thrust their hands into His side and to feel the prints of the nails in His hands and in His feet.24The scriptures describe resurrection as “every limb and joint shall be restored to … their proper and perfect frame,” and “even a hair of the head shall not be lost.”25 That being so, please consider how it is that our Savior’s perfect, resurrected body still bears the wounds in His side and the nail prints in His hands and feet.26Our Savior declares:

“Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.”28He testifies: “I am he who was lifted up. I am Jesus that was crucified. I am the Son of God.”29

I humbly testify and pray that we will always remember Him—in all times, all things, and all places we may be in.30 In the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen.

“Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 17th year, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 perfectly, precious and precocious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Other Judd related blogs/articles you might be interested in:

Judd Family Recipe Blog   or    BellaOnline Cleaning

FHE: Tithing

What is FHE? Click on the link and it will take you to the Church's explanation.

Tithing is always an important principle to teach to our children. In this General Conference talk, titled "The Windows of Heaven", by Elder David Bednar (October 2013), he gives wonderful examples and anecdotes to help people of ALL ages understand the importance of tithing. This is the last section from that talk. FHE lessons don't need to be long and drawn out. I am a firm believer of short and sweet. :) Make it memorable and helpful to the children and then stop! Instead of sharing stories that Elder Bednar shares, we can share personal stories of how Tithing has strengthened and blessed US in our lives.
An Invitation and a Testimony

The honest payment of tithing is much more than a duty; it is an important step in the process of personal sanctification. To those of you who pay your tithing, I commend you.

To those of you who presently are not obeying the law of tithing, I invite you to consider your ways and repent. I testify that by your obedience to this law of the Lord, the windows of heaven will be opened to you. Please do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.

I testify spiritual and temporal blessings come into our lives as we live the law of tithing. I bear witness that such blessings often are significant but subtle. I also declare that the simplicity of the Lord’s way that is so evident in the temporal affairs of His Church provides patterns that can guide us as individuals and as families. I pray each of us may learn and benefit from these important lessons, in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a fantastic Family Home Evening with your family!

Make it a great one!

Daughter, Sister, Friend, Wife - in our 17th year, Stepmother to 2 adult children, Mother - (G16, G15, B13, G10, B9, B5, G4, & B1), StepMother-In-Law to 2, StepGrandmother to 4 perfectly, precious and precocious little boys! Blessed, Happy & Satisfied!

Other Judd related blogs/articles you might be interested in:

Judd Family Recipe Blog   or    BellaOnline Cleaning